1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vehicles and, more specifically, to a system and method for virtual interactive design and evaluation and manipulation of vehicle mechanisms of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicle design, and in particular the design of an automotive vehicle, has advanced to a state in which computer-assisted design techniques are frequently incorporated in the development of a new vehicle or redesign of an existing vehicle. Enhanced visualization software tools allow for interactive display and manipulation of large geometric digital models, including digital models developed using computer-assisted design (CAD). In the field of vehicle design, the use of computer-assisted design and visualization techniques are especially beneficial in designing, packaging, and assembling various systems incorporated within the vehicle to maximize the design and functional capabilities of these vehicles. Advantageously, potential vehicle system designs can be considered in a timely and cost-effective manner by analyzing a digital representation of a proposed design versus preparing an actual physical model.
One aspect of the design task for a vehicle is the coexistence of a digital model and a physical model. An advantage of the physical model is that it provides a vehicle representation of the design that can be evaluated visually and by touch.
Recently, designers have utilized virtual reality simulation techniques to provide a bridge between the physical model and the digital model. Virtual reality allows a user to interact with a virtual environment, including a virtual object in the virtual environment, as if the user was actually immersed in the virtual environment.
A user-friendly vehicle device, such as a haptic device, serves as an interface between the user and the virtual environment. An example of a haptic device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,013 to Stewart et al., entitled “Force Feedback Haptic Interface for a Three-Dimensional CAD Surface”, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
Previous virtual reality interfaces suffer from two major disadvantages. The first disadvantage is the poor quality of graphic rendering, in terms of resolution, refresh, and fidelity. The second disadvantage is the user interface during exploration and manipulation of the digital model. As a result, it is desirable to provide a system for virtual prototyping vehicle mechanisms and allow designers to interactively create, modify, and evaluate kinematic and dynamic properties of moving parts of a vehicle. It is also desirable to provide the system with a novel user-interface for three-dimensional virtual applications. Thus, there is a need in the art for a system and method to design and evaluate vehicle mechanisms.